Where does the flame of art come from? No pictures or adverts here

The flame inside

The flame inside, the burning, the heat and the endless light in darkness.
Is this what creates art?
Burning of things unsaid and unspoken, the burning of things unrealised or the burning of things forgotten.
Is this what creates art?
The lack of flame, the cold, the extinguished flame.
Is this what creates art?
The fuel of the fire, the turmoil, the hardest paths, the terror unknown.
Is this what creates art?
The burning desire to be immortal, remembered, revered.
Is this what creates art?
The need to leave a mark, to meld the real into your image, the desire to control the elements.
Is this what creates art?
The idea of release, to let out the burning pain, the need to vent, to survive without imploding.
Is this what creates art?
A passion that can't be put out, a thing that has to be done, cannot be controlled.
Is this what creates art?

The artist

Are the things above what is needed to create art? Art in the form or words, of music, of poetry, of sculpture or theatre. These creative souls what is it that drives them to make the art that they make. Some are rich and some are poor. However true artists will make art regardless. History shows us this. My life shows us this. My friends show me this. the continued drive and passion to create something that transcends your own being. What drives these people to do this is something I have thought about a lot. What has driven me to do this my whole life. Painting, signing, composing, writing. All these things I have done since I was small, always having a need to create something. I am not sure what has driven me to do this or why I continue. Does it matter that I do not understand reasons? I don't think so. Does it matter how "good" whatever I create is? I also do not think so. I am a process driven artists, enjoying the process of creating with the end product being a small and pale comparison to the love I feel in the process of creation.

The words

No pictures here, no music or gifs. Just words drifting from my head to my hands to this page. No fancy click bait captions or thoughts or structure. No advertising or asking for follows or votes. Just words. The words of an artist pondering where does the art come from? where is the value in the art created? Time changes perceptions of value. What do I value about my art? is it the royalty pay checks? Is it the number of views or plays? Is it validation of greatness from people I respect? Again I do not have those answers. I do not know where the value comes from. I do not know how I value what I have done and what I do.

The flame of art

The change of the earth over millennium
Drives us to burn like suns dying
Setting out the times of night and day
Rotating from one to the other but quicker than days but longer than nights
The smoke signals calling others to come to see where the fire is burning
To see what it burns, and the person who lit it
Brings people from darkness in the darkest of times
Celebrates momentous occasions beside us
Creating memories, impressions that can never be erased
Even the slim pencil lines across skin will stay there forever
The feelings of flames never forgotten
Shaping us now and the things yet to come
Making emotions like seeds in a meadow
Spreading the scent from one place to another
The flame will stay
Fuelled by endless desire
It will gather the needy and the needful around it
Warming their feet, hands and smiles with glow
A place where nothing can harm us
Not even ourselves